Have you ever thought about the repercussions of an economic collapse? With the very increasing global debt, a total economic collapse doesn’t sound like a fantasy but just an inevitable near future. This is why this the most important not talked about subject when it comes to possible SHTF scenarios. People are just not really preparing for the possibility. You need a bug out strategy for this and maybe even more than that.
First, you have to secure resources and a vehicle to move from one place to another. Then, you need to assess the security of the road and the destination. Most preppers have a safe house to go in a bug out scenario. Still, depending on the situation, an economic collapse, for example, you may need to have to go to a completely different destination.
My research concluded that there are a few things that you need to consider when choosing the best place to live in case of economic collapse. This works both if you’re going to a different country or if you’re just going to a different city/state. Since most preppers would rather stay in the country and see what happens, even if the ship sinks, you’ll need to look for:
- social stability
- fewer enemies
- economic freedom and opportunity
- freedom of self-expression
- self-sufficiency
- cost of living
- residency
- language
- prepper friendly
With this list, you can begin to sort out the best candidates for your final destination. Obviously, if you decide to stay in the country, the visa and residency do not need to be a concern. Now, if you do, you should also consider the language since some countries have virtually no ESL (English as a second language) speakers. There is an extensive guide you can use that will help you make the right choice and place to relocate. This book can be found on Amazon.
Social Stability
This is at the top because in the case of an economic collapse, or any SHTF situation really, you want to go to a place with minimum social stability. This is usually the number one reason someone would leave their house in the first place. It is important to find a place that has basic laws and security.
You can start by assessing the number of riots or chaotic situation that the place has both historically and currently. Also, the murder ratio is another important data that you should look at. Look for states that have laws that would facilitate your lifestyle.
Here the best criteria would be places that allow you to have a firearm, not too much populated, far from the borders, natural resources available. This is a good list of boxes to check when looking for the perfect place to live in case of economic collapse.
Choose carefully. When it comes to social stability since depending on what happens, everything may change. The truth is that in the case of an economic collapse, if it’s global is likely to have an impact on everyone, and if it’s mainly the U.S, everyone is still likely to feel. So, it may be a good idea to stay in the country no matter how bad things get.
Anyway, a good rule of thumb is to go to places that have a small population since big cities tend to have riots and chaos in situations like that. Also, look for places where you can have access to natural resources so you don’t need to depend on the government and companies to provide that for you.
Fewer Enemies
This is especially true if you’re going abroad. Choose a place that is friendlier towards Americans. This may be more difficult than you think. First, eliminate any country that has a bad relationship with the American government. Those places will not only be unpleasant to live in, but they may also be dangerous.
Then, you have third-world countries. Some of them have a high-numbers of kidnaps of foreigners. During an economic collapse, that will get even worse since everyone will be looking for ways to make money. Still, that it’s not the case with every single one of them so it might be worth considering.
Now, you’re still looking for social stability, which a lot of these countries don’t have. So, it may be a good option to look for shelter in allies from developed countries. This may be the best option if you must go abroad, but it still presents some hardships.
You have to find a place that you’re able to speak the language, get a visa, and probably own a gun. This task is proven rather difficult once you start doing your research. The truth is that you probably will have to compromise. If you don’t want to, under any circumstances, then it might be the case of staying in the U.S and head for the country.
Fewer enemies should also be considered even if you’re going to stay in the country. In the case of an economic collapse even your neighbor may be a threat. So, the most remote places are better. There’s less fight for resources.
Economic Freedom and Opportunity
This applies both for people that will leave the country and for those that will stay. During any sort of economic collapse, most jobs will disappear. People won’t spend money either because they don’t have it or because they’re afraid of being left with nothing.
So, it’s best to have a plan of what you’re going to do in this department. A good idea might be to learn a skill that is crucial, especially in situations like this. It may be easier to figure out if you think about it in terms of supply and demand. Think about the things that people will need during those times and how you can solve that problem. Great fortunes were made in moments of crisis.
You should make a list of possible destinations for you in this scenario. Once you have around 3-5 possible locations, you can start ruling out the ones that do not meet the criteria. This way, you can make sure that you have a surefire way to start all over and succeed.
To recap, economic freedom is important but to be practical, it is best to think about opportunities for you to make a living. Make a list of your skills and see what places are a good match.
As long as you abide by this rule, you won’t have problems to settle. For example, if you’re going to a different country, you should know how you’re going to make money and pretty much live there. Way too often people just think about what country they want to go to if they have to but don’t think about whether or not is a viable option when it comes to working opportunities.
Freedom of Self—Expression
I’m pretty sure that you’re a big fan of freedom of speech. Unfortunately, it’s not the case everywhere in the world. Especially for destinations abroad, freedom of speech is something important to do your research on. For example, in some countries, you can get arrest for complaining about the government. That’s something that we take for granted until we notice that not everyone has that.
Places with a strong democracy are usually the safest when it comes to freedom of speech. Maybe that’s another reason to stay in America. Now, even in American, freedom of speech may be an issue at times. The point is that if you’re starting over it matters. Especially in the long run.
Freedom ensures a strong democracy and that ensures that you will be safer than in other places. Places with not much freedom of speech also tend to have a tight government, which usually means more taxes, no gun permits, and all sorts of stuff that is bad for a prepper lifestyle.
A good criterion is to go to places that you can get freedom of speech, the whole country will do, and places that also are more isolated so no one will meddle in your business. Also, remember that in case of an economic collapse your money might lose value or you may even lose whatever it is that you have in the bank. This is a very extreme situation. Still, that’s why you prep.
Self-sufficiency
In SHTF situation, the whole point of prepping is to rely on yourself as much as possible. So, if you’re going abroad you should choose countries that have isolated economies and are also friendly to Americans. This combination is hard to find.
The reason to do this is that countries with more isolated economies will not feel the impact of a U.S economic collapse as much EU countries for instance. Still, you don’t want to go to a country and have to worry about being kidnapped or anything. So, it’s better to check on how much they like or dislike America.
Now, if you’re staying in the country, congratulations. Anyway, you should choose places where you can be self-sufficient. For example, can you have access to natural sources of water? Can you hunt or fish? Do you have a way to make financial transactions even if the banks aren’t working anymore? Those are basic questions that you must consider.
Heading to the mid-west might be the best option, but again many people may think the same, so you must be careful. Still, I’d bet a lot of people would still try to stay on both coasts, so I believe you will be good to go.
Since you want to be self-sufficient, you should also consider gun permit laws and isolation. A good spot is usually one that you don’t need to see anyone if you don’t want to but you can see someone in 5-10 minutes by car if you have to.
Cost of Living
Obviously, the cost of living not only varies from place to place but it may change completely once the economic collapse takes place. If a place that has almost no one living there suddenly gets people from all sorts of places, the cost of living there might skyrocket. It’s just supply and demand.
Besides going to more isolated places, you should consider how likely people are to go there, once the collapse happens. For example, when something like this takes place, people will try to find common ground. They’ll go to cities of medium size or anything that is able to be more isolated than the big cities, but that it’s still a city. This is not only a coping mechanism but also the fact that most people learned to rely too much on the city life. This makes them vulnerable to situations like this one because they have no idea how to survive.
It’s like throwing a tiger raised in captivity in the jungle. It won’t survive long on its own. So, the cost of living should be a factor but you should also evaluate the chances of everyone heading toward the same place. If local business notice that there are suddenly a lot of people arriving, they’ll increase the prices of goods and rent. This all assuming we still have a currency unit.
If you avoid the obvious locations and the touristic ones as well, you avoid 90% of the places people are going to go. Remember, they’ll always try to find common ground and go somewhere familiar. Do it differently.
Residency
This, again, applies to both foreign countries and other places in the country. Before deciding where to go, you must be aware of visas and places to live if you are going abroad. A lot of places that would fit most of the criteria are actually expensive and difficult to get a visa. Especially on short notice.
When it comes to other states, you have to first decide if you’re buying or renting. Either way, you have to look for the availability of houses in the place. If you do have the money, it’s usually not a problem to find a place. During a crisis, you’re also more likely to get a better deal. People will be desperate to get money and leave.
Good properties give you options. This means that you can be both isolated and near other people. You can have space to plant but, perhaps, not so much land that you can’t protect and control everything. Now, make a list so you can rule out the first options that come to mind.
Once you do find a town and a house, the best thing is to set up everything you’re going to need. Equipment, food, water. Have everything always ready for you. This way, in whatever scenario that is presented to you, you have a plan to execute and be safe.
Honestly, the secret is to always be prepared, so you never panic or find yourself in a situation that you don’t have options to choose from. If you take the right measures and prep, you can actually relax even during those times.
Language
This is the most overlooked item when other preppers are talking about foreign places to go. Maybe because some people assume that everyone in the world knows some English or just pure ignorance. The point is that some countries speak better English than others, and if you don’t speak the local language, you should check that out first.
Imagine that you’re in a foreign place where people don’t understand English and you don’t understand them. How are you going to function in a place like that? That’s why you can’t be reckless and pick a country out of the blue.
If you must insist in going abroad, you should give preference for English-speaking countries and the ones that you either speak the local language or that have a high percentage of ESL (English as a second language) speakers.
Prepper friendly
Ultimately and, perhaps, the most important, you have to go to places that are prepper friendly. This means that they don’t have strict gun regulations in place and that you can also store water and stockpile food. If abroad, the government also has to be the least controlling possible.
Another thing that people tend to neglect is the fact that every country has their own laws. Obviously, the more Western a country is the more similar their laws are to the U.S. Still, there is always some difference that you should be aware of.
If you’re staying in the country, you should also check important laws in regards to guns, storage of resources and things of that nature since some of those may change from state to state.
Final Thoughts
So, this is the best way for you to pick a place to go when the economic collapse happens. Use these criteria as filters to help you find the best place for you. I believe that the conclusion is that the best thing is to go to more isolated areas of the country and not just abandon the sinking ship as many people think.
More often than not, going abroad would just be the worst decision you would make. It’s better to stay in the territory you know than take an adventure in the worse moment possible. With this information, now you can make the best decision for yourself. For a great guide for relocating, click here.
